The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-03-17

Hazard, Captain Eads' daughter, dated AT
Nassau Saturday last, in which Captain
Eads was said TO be suffering from conges'
ton Of the lungs and TO be so low that there
was little likelihood Of his recovery.
Captain Eads took a heavy cold last De.
cember and went TO Lakewood, N. j.,
where his health was improving when he
was called TO Washington on business con-
nected with the Tehuantepec Ship Railway
bill. He returned TO New York January
IS so feeble that DIR. Helmulth at once or
dered him TO Nassau, and he sailed for the
Bahamas February with his wife and
Mrs. Hazard
Captain James r. Eads was siXty-scven
years OF age. He was born in Lawrenceburg,
Ind May %, 1880 and with his parents went 10
ST. Louis in 1888. He was emphaticaliy self.
made man having left school at the age Of thir
teen, at which age he began Us clerk in dry
goods store. He evinced q disposition TO be
an engineer while in this business All his
spare time was devoted 70 mathematics
pertaining TO the object which he had re-
solved TO master. In ls42 he constructed div
ing-bell boat 20 recover cargoes OF spnken
steamers In lSI5 he erected at 81. Louis the
first glass works west OF the Ohio river. In
1850 he made q proposition TO the Government
TO remove the snags and wrecks which then
Ohio and Arkansas rivers This passed the
lower branch OF Congress in 1857, but want
OF time prevented action by the senate
On the invitation In 1851, OF President Lin
coin MIR Eads designed and constructed
q powerful squadron OF eight steamers de-
signed for use on the Mississippi having
q speed OF nine knots an hour, and aggre'
eating 5000 tons. These were ready fully
equipped and plated, within i0O days from the
time he received notice TO do the work. They
were the tirst irun-clad vessels constructed by
the Government In 1903 he designed and
constructed six turreted iron vessels, all heavi'
" plated. In 1874 he designed and construct.
ed the great steel-arched bridge over the Mis-
sissippi river at st Louis. This work Is re-
nowned among the great engineering fcats OF
the century. andtts construction was regarded
at the time by scientific men as the solution OF
great problem in the engineering world
The GROWING work OF his life was that OF
dee penin2 the m ruth OF the Mtssissip pi river.
This was in 1874 His plans for this work mot
with strenuous opposition from Government
engineers, but Captain Eads succeeded in hay
ing them adopted by proposing TO do the work
without remuneration until he showed Congress
that his work was accomplished and practical.
Permission was granted in 1873, and in June OF
that year the construction OF what was then and
is still known as the "ietuesM was begun, and
the completion OF the work Us he had planned
It was accomplished.
In 1879 Mr. Eads proposed his ship railway
across the American sthmus II is Familiarity
knownto the American public as the Tehuante'
pee or Nicaragua Ship railway The scheme
received the Endorsement OF Congress during
the session Just closed. In the month OF Au.
gust 1884, he was awarded the Albert medal by
the Society OF Arts in England, In recognition
OF the valuable aid which his services have rem
~szed TO the commerce OF the world.